· Team · 1 min read
Ilhan, the protein expression expert
For the NWO XS project on EBV I was able to recruit the talented Ilhan Tomris for a few months. Ilhan's extensive experience in viral protein expression aligns perfectly with this project.
Ilhan has been tremendously helpful already while finishing his PhD in the de Vries group, but we are very happy to welcome him now officially in the lab for germinal center biology! 🎉
Brotein expression
If you need protein, Ilhan is your guy, either in the gym or in the lab. Ilhan has expressed almost all influenza HA and corona spike proteins. Not only that, he also characterized their binding.
EBV as complement receptor probe
The EBV entry receptor, also known as complement receptor 2 (CR2) or simply the EBV receptor is highly expressed by B cells. B cells are the main target cell for EBV, which can result in mononucleosis (better known as Pfeiffer’s disease in the Netherlands). CR2 is present on other cells as well, notably on follicular dendritic cells, a mesenchymal immune cell. But transcriptional evidence excists for expression in cells that seem to have no protein expression. Therefore we want a functional detection method. Expression of EBV gp350 NTD protein with fluorescent tags will be used as a functional probe.
Once again, a warm welcome to Ilhan! We are already sad to lose you to your new challenge abroad.
